Foreign Correspondent [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Overview

Fourteen scriptwriters spent five years toiling over a movie adaptation of war correspondent Vincent Sheehan's Personal History before producer Walter Wanger brought the property to the screen as Foreign Correspondent. What emerged was approximately 2 parts Sheehan and 8 parts director Alfred Hitchcock--and what's wrong with that? Joel McCrea stars as an American journalist sent by his newspaper to cover the volatile war scene in Europe in the years 1938 to 1940. He has barely arrived in Holland before he witnesses the assassination of Dutch diplomat Albert Basserman: at least, that's what he thinks he sees. McCrea makes the acquaintance of peace-activist Herbert Marshall, his like-minded daughter Laraine Day, and cheeky British secret agent George Sanders. A wild chase through the streets of Amsterdam, with McCrea dodging bullets, leads to the classic "alternating windmills" scene, which tips Our Hero to the existence of a formidable subversive organization. McCrea returns to England, where he nearly falls victim to the machinations of jovial hired-killer Edmund Gwenn. The leader of the spy ring is revealed during the climactic plane-crash sequence--which, like the aforementioned windmill scene, is a cinematic tour de force for director Hitchcock and cinematographer Rudolph Mate. Producer Wanger kept abreast of breaking news events all through the filming of Foreign Correspondent, enabling him to keep the picture as "hot" as possible: the final scene, with McCrea broadcasting to a "sleeping" America from London while Nazi bombs drop all around him, was filmed only a short time after the actual London blitz. The script was co-written by Robert Benchley, who has a wonderful supporting role as an eternally tippling newsman. Foreign Correspondent was Alfred Hitchcock's second American film, and remained one of his (and his fans') personal favorites.

Product Details

Release Date:	08/05/2014
UPC:	0715515129213
Original Release:	1940
Rating:	PG
Source:	Criterion Collection
Language:	English
Sales rank:	9,197

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Joel McCrea	Johnny Jones
Laraine Day	Carol Fisher
George Sanders	Scott ffolliott
Herbert Marshall	Stephen Fisher
Edmund Gwenn	Rowley
Albert Basserman	Van Meer
Robert Benchley	Stebbins
Harry Davenport	Powers
Eduardo Ciannelli	Krug
Barbara Pepper	Doreen
Martin Kosleck	Tramp
Eddie Conrad	Latvian Diplomat
Charles Wagenheim	Assassin
Crauford Kent	Toastmaster
Frances Carson	Mrs. Sprague
Alexander Granach	Valet
Sam Adams	Impersonator,Van Meer's Impersonator
Dorothy Vaughan	Jones' Mother
Betty Bradley	Cousin Mary
Mary Young	Auntie Maude
Jack Rice	Donald
Jackie McGee	Child
Henry Blair	Child
Rebecca Bohannen	Sophie
Marten Lamont	Clipper Captain
Barry Bernard	Steward
Hilda Plowright	Miss Pimm
Gertrude W. Hoffman	Mrs. Benson,Telegrapher,Mrs. Benson
June Novak	Miss Benson,Miss Benson
Roy Gordon	Mr. Brood,Taxi Driver
Bert White	Passenger
Thomas Pogue	Passenger
Jack Voglin	Passenger
George French	Passenger,Bit part
William Stelling	Flight Officer
John Meredith	Flight Officer
George Cathrey	Flight Officer
Leonard Mudie	Inspector McKenna
Holmes Herbert	Commissioner Ffolliott
Frederick Sewall	Student
Emory Parnell	John Martin, Captain of the Mohican
James Finlayson	Dutch Peasant
Hermina Milar	Little Dutch Girl
Loulette Sablon	Nesta
Colin Kenny	Walter/Doctor
Paul Sutton	Male Nurse
Robert C. Fischer	Manager
Jack Dawson	Schoolmaster
Ken Christy	Plainclothesman
Thomas Mizer	Plainclothesman
June Heiden	Two-year-old
Terry Kilburn	Boy
Hans von Morhart	Dutch Policemen
Charles Halton	Bradley
Joan Leslie	Jones' Sister
Paul Irving	Dr. Williamson
Ferris Taylor	Jones' Father
John T. Murray	Clark
Harry Depp	Uncle Biren
Meeka Aldrich	Donald's Wife
Willy Castello	Dutch Pilot
Bill Gavier	Dutch Pilot
Ian Wolfe	Stiles the Butler
Ernie Stanton	Newsman
Donald Stuart	Newsman
Helena Phillips Evans	Maid,English Doorman
Frank Benson	English Porter
Barbara Boudwin	Barmaid
Louis Borell	Capt. Lansom
Gino Corrado	Italian Waiter
Elspeth Dudgeon	Spinster
Gwendolyn Logan	Spinster
Eily Malyon	English Cashier
Bunny Beatty	Porter
John Burton	English Radio Announcer
Raymond Severn	English Boy
Lawrence Osman	Eton Boy
Richard Hammond	Eton Boy
Joe O'Brien	Eton Boy
Billy Bester	Eton Boy
Billy Horn	Eton Boy
Ronald Brown	Eton Boy
Louise Brien	Secretary
Jack Alfred	Copy Boy
George Offerman Jr.	Copy Boy
E.E. Clive	Mr. Naismith
Alfred Hitchcock	Man with Newspaper
Wheaton Chambers	Committeeman
Albert Bassermann	Van Meer
Ted Offenbecker	Copy Boy
Horace Carpenter	Bit part
John George	Bit part
Ted Mapes	Double for Joel McCrea
Harry Semels	Bit part
William Yetter Jr.	Bit part
George Offerman	Bit part
Alfred Newman	Composer

Technical Credits

Joan Harrison

Richard Maibaum

Robert Benchley

Ben Hecht

James Hilton

Charles Bennett

Alfred Hitchcock	Director
Walter Wanger	Producer
Lee Zavitz	Special Effects
Joan Harrison	Screenwriter
Richard Maibaum	Screenwriter
Robert Benchley	Screenwriter
Paul Eagler	Special Effects
Frank Maher	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Walter Reynolds	Sound Effects
James Moulton	Sound Effects
Ben Hecht	Screenwriter
James Hilton	Screenwriter
Charles Bennett	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Alfred Hitchcock's second American film, Foreign Correspondent is a typically skillful, well-balanced suspense thriller from the unrivalled master of the genre. Popular upon its release and still considered one of the director's most entertaining works, the picture is undercut somewhat by its lackluster leads, Joel McCrea and Laraine Day. Hitchcock originally wanted Gary Cooper for the lead, but often had trouble attracting Hollywood stars since many considered his films mere pulp entertainment. Regardless, Foreign Correspondent is most memorable for its grand set pieces. All are prime examples of Hitchcockian art: the assassin's escape into a crowd of umbrellas; the plane crash into the ocean (shot indoors on a huge set at MGM); and the famous windmill sequence. The film's blatant call for America to take arms against Nazi Germany was penned by screenwriter Ben Hecht (Scarface, Notorious). Hitchcock's other anti-Nazi movies from the World War II era included Saboteur, Lifeboat, and Notorious; he also made two French-language propaganda films.

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